Attention to detail and a passion for quality chocolate is a must. Candidates should be eager to learn how to work with chocolate. Experience a definite asset. 4 days a week, 9AM to 4PM, approximately 30 hours (negotiable). Position will commence ASAP.

Please send your cover letter and resume to info@kerstinschocolates.com.

First up, a chocolate tasting using three types of Domori Grand Cru. This dessert was a nice twist on three classics - dark chocolate ice cream with crunchy roasted peanuts, a smooth and decadent pot du creme and a truffle studded with cacao nibs and a single cherry that complemented the chocolate’s citrusy notes well.

Next, a chocolate and pistachio ice cream sandwich with a sandy cacao based cookie, and a rich, flavourful, complex chocolate ice cream studded with pistachios.

So while l’Échaudé keeps up the good work in Québec, I will leave you with the link to the decadent chocolate recipes featured on Valrhona’s website. Have fun!

PS. After a short break the Shop is open again Thursday through Saturday. Don’t forget to check the website for our new fall hours. See you soon!

Beginning September 2nd, the Shop will be open Thursday through Saturday for all your chocolate needs. As we head into December, we will once again extend Shop hours to allow ample time to find the perfect gift for all those chocolate lovers in your life.

The new change in hours will give Kerstin a chance to focus on new creations in the back, so expect lots of new, exciting chocolate in the Shop come Fall. We are also heading into our greatest Holiday collection ever, so keep an eye out for details.

Hope to see you in the Fall for some great chocolate!

The only glaring exception is white chocolate. This is not to say that we don’t get a lot of customers who adore the stuff – we do. Nor is it to say that we haven’t converted a fair chunk of former white chocolate-haters – we have; most are floored when they taste the different kinds we have in the shop, from our own Chocophilia ‘Lemon Dream’ and ‘Roses Are Red’ bars to the absolutely fantastic Amedei ‘Pistacchi’ bar. But it is perhaps the most polarizing chocolate we carry, and there are many who just can’t get behind it.

Still, if any of you reading out there are thinking of giving it another chance, be sure to consider the following:

-      It’s important not to think of white chocolate as ‘chocolate’ in the traditional sense, but rather as a confection; you should expect it to be sweeter and less complex than the chocolate you may be used to, but nonetheless enjoyable.

-      Most good white chocolate will be made up of no more than cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla and soy lecithin, in this order. Because of the high percentage of cocoa butter, it will not be pure white, but more of an ivory, off-white colour.

-      While many like to enjoy white chocolate as is, keep in mind that it works wonderfully in baking and can be combined with a number of ingredients (lemon, nuts, mint, fresh or dried fruit) quite successfully.

In addition to the aforementioned bars, we also stock bags of Valrhona Ivoire 35% couverture in the Home Chef section and we are constantly experimenting with white chocolate in our truffle case. Last but not least, here’s a recipe for caramelized white chocolate, if you decide on some experimentation of your own!

Caramelized White Chocolate with Sea Salt

adapted from Valrhona via David Lebovitz (click on the link for ideas for what to do with it, besides eat it with a spoon)

340g good-quality white chocolate, such as Valrhona Ivoire 35%

a pinch of sea salt, preferably fleur de sel (nothing too harsh)

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Distribute the chocolate evenly (if in a block, chop it coarsely) onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and spread it into an even layer, as best you can, with a spatula. Continue to bake for 40-60 minutes, being sure to stir every 10 mintues. It may look lumpy and grainy at first, but it should smooth out over time. How long you leave it in the oven is up to you, but err on the side of caution and remove it if you think it might burn (use the pictures as a guide, although you could certainly let it get darker).

When it’s ready, stir in a large pinch of sea salt; if you don’t use it immediately, keep in mind that it will become solid again once it’s cooled, and will need to be warmed to be pourable.

Use as desired, in ice cream, baking, or, let’s face it, on toast.

But what to do when it’s time to go home for the day, when you have to step first into the sun, and then into a house that’s been baking in it for hours? The answer, friends, is tea.

The idea of tea on a summer’s day may seem about as appealing as plunking yourself down on hot sand, but there is a reason that tea is the one of the most popular beverages around the world (and in warm-weather countries in particular). Many argue that drinking hot beverages speeds up the metabolism and makes us sweat more, eventually cooling us down.

Whatever the reason, it really does work, and the Kusmi tea that we have in the shop is impossible to resist - you can’t help but ogle the sparkly little tins. If you still can’t wrap your head around the idea, they work wonderfully over ice as well.

We always have a few kicking around in the kitchen and they disappear at an alarming pace, no matter the weather (and anyway, after a few hours, that air conditioning can feel downright cold). We carry a wide variety, including red tea from South Africa, Chinese black tea spiked with citrus and vanilla and even a ‘Be Cool’ blend: decaffeinated with verbena, rosehip, liquorice and peppermint. Stop in this week and pick one out; you’ll be back for another before you know it!

They are best enjoyed, in our opinion, with a scoop (or two) of 80% Valrhona gelato and a smattering of cocoa nibs. What says summer better than an ice cream sandwich?

Here’s how we do it at the shop:

Chewy Cocoa Cookies

adapted from Alice Medrich

140g (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

57g (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter

133g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar

73g (1/3 cup) light brown sugar

48g (7 tbsp.) good quality unsweetened cocoa powder (we use Valrhona)

90g (1/3 cup) full-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to mix.

Melt the butter, either in a bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop. Add the sugars to the butter, stir to mix, then add the cocoa and stir to mix. The mixture will be somewhat thick and pasty. Add the yogurt and vanilla and stir to mix thoroughly. Lastly, add the flour mixture and stir just to combine.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until the tops of the cookies have cracked slightly and look set.

Makes about 15 medium-sized cookies